je marche
The English phrase "I walk" is translated into French as je marche.
je marche is used to state that someone is moving on foot. Because French does not have a separate continuous form like English, this phrase can mean both "I walk" and "I am walking".
Which one should you use?
While je marche describes the action of walking, other forms express different nuances. Je me balade and Je flâne are used for more casual types of walking, whereas Je me déplace à pied is used to emphasize walking specifically as a means of transportation.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb in je marche is a regular -er verb. The first-person singular present tense is formed by adding the ending -e to the stem march-.
Did you know?
- In French, the phrase ça marche is a common way to say 'that works' or 'it is a deal' when agreeing to a plan.
- The word marche refers to both the action of walking and a single physical step on a staircase.
- The word je shares a common ancestor in the Classical Latin word egō̆, which is the same root that eventually led to the English word 'I'.
Examples in context
- Je marche sur l’eau.I walk on water.This sentence shows the use of je marche to describe moving on water.Tatoeba #10505649 by pkill, translation #13143052 by rul
- Je marche en boitant.I walk with a limp.This sentence shows the use of je marche to describe moving with a limp.Tatoeba #11228604 by lbdx, translation #7114180 by CM
- Je marche tout le temps.I walk all the time.This sentence shows the use of je marche to describe a frequent habit.Tatoeba #9762962 by Micsmithel, translation #12523900 by rul
- Je me promène tous les matins dans le parc.I walk in the park every morning.
- Après le dîner, je fais souvent une promenade dans le quartier.After dinner, I often take a walk around the neighborhood.
- Habitant en ville, je me déplace à pied pour aller travailler.Living in the city, I walk to work.
- Les dimanches, je me balade au parc avec mes amis.On Sundays, I walk around the park with my friends.
- Quand j'ai du temps libre, j'aime flâner dans les rues du quartier.When I have free time, I enjoy wandering the streets of the neighborhood.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are discussing their commute to work.
- ManonJe marche pour aller au travail.I walk to go to work.
- LucasC'est bon pour la santé.It is good for your health.
- ManonOui, mais c'est parfois long.Yes, but it is sometimes long.
- LucasMoi, je marche aussi si le temps est beau.Me, I walk too if the weather is nice.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, marche, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
